Exploring around the natural wonders of Barbados

Speightstown was the first major port and commercial centre of Barbados. the second largest town in the island. Formerly known as “Little Bristol”, because of the heavy sugar traffic with that English town. It was eventually renamed after William Speight, a member of Governor Hawley’s Parliament in 1639, on whose land it was built. Falling into disrepair and neglected over the years it has now been revived and is the home of a brand new luxury marina development - Port St. Charles - and a number of exciting initiatives.  There are excellent hotels and restaurants in the area as well as an art gallery, and some fine examples of original Barbados architecture. This little village  was the port that Sir George Ayscue could not take, when dispatched by Cromwell to quell the insurrection in Barbados in 1649.  The Barbadians were loyal to Charles 1, and would not accept Cromwell as their protector.  For 6 months Ayscue was unable to land in Barbados, and concentrated attacks on Speightstown were repelled by the small forts along the shore. The tiny Island was landed only with the help of a defector who led Ayscue and his men to land at Oistins Town where they met with representatives of the island and signed what has become known as the "Charter of Barbados".   Signed in 1652, the agreement gave Barbados rights and privileges unheard of in any other Island.  In particular it guaranteed that Barbados could not be taxed without the consent of a Barbados General Assembly

Shopping
Broad Street is the main shopping area of Bridgetown where visitors enjoy tax-free shopping be presenting a passport and a departing air ticket. Bridgetown is also home to Cave Shepherd, the island’s largest department store, as well as Louis Bayley and Harrison’s, Broad Street’s tax-free treasures.

If you love the roar of the ocean, the waves pounding against rugged cliff faces, then head for the east coast of Barbados, home of the most energetic of pursuits, surfing and wind surfing
Striking wide white sand beaches stretch along a dramatic coastline of amazing rock formations against which the Atlantic rollers break in cascades of foam. What looks like huge boulders washed up on the beach, are actually outcrops broken away from the ancient coral reef.
The fishing village of Bathsheba is home to a small fishing community . All you will find here is a local rum shop and a few restaurants. A place for discerning tourist and for Bajans who  weekend in their seaside cottages along the coast.

The Soup Bowl at Bathsheba gets its name from the foamy surf created by the action of the ocean and is the site of many local and international surfing championships.  This is a great place to surf, with steady big rollers coasting in across the Atlantic ocean

Bathsheba pools
Bathing  in these shallow inshore pools is a firm favourite with  Bajans at weekends and holidays. Carved out of the inshore coral  reef by the relentless action of the waves, they are several feet deep.  Rum Punch parties in these natural whirlpools are a uniquely Bajan experience

Saint George: Destroyed by a hurricane in 1780, a new church was built four years later and this building still survives, making it the oldest ecclesiastical building on the island.
St.John's Church is a classic Gothic church situated on a cliff overlooking the picturesque East Coast. This Church was built in 1836 to replace the previous church which had been destroyed by a hurricane in 1831.In the Church Yard rests the remains of Ferdinando Paleologus, a descendent of Emperor Constantine the Great, whose family was driven from the throne of Constantinople by the Turks. Ferdinando died in Barbados in 1678, after being a resident here for over 20 years.

The Anglican church was the first official religion in Barbados.
Today it accounts for 33% of church going members, dramatically down from 90% reported in an 1871 survey.
Although the Church teaches that all men are equal in the sight of God, slaves were originally forbidden membership by the original plantation owners, who were concerned that the church might undermine their authority over the workers.

Despite this attitude, with the abolition of slavery in 1838 many ex-slaves were drawn to the Anglican church which soon grew more popular than the other early Christian churches, the Methodist, Moravian and the Quakers.

Bishop William Hart Coleridge, the first Anglican Bishop, did much to extend the church's influence by building ten chapels in the rural areas for those who had difficulty reaching the parish churches. His work, which began in 1825 and lasted to 1842, also led to the development of 11 chapel schools and the St. Mary's Church in Bridgetown.

Below are the scheduled services at some Anglican churches in Barbados. You may also ask at your hotel about services at nearby churches.

Over 100 religious groups currently operate in Barbados and some of them are listed below
Anglican   Apostolic Teaching Centre   Evangelical   Hinduism   Jehovah's Witness   Jewish

Methodist   Moravian   Mormon   Muslim   Pentecostal   Quaker   Rastafarian  Roman Catholic

Salvation Army   Seventh Day Adventist   Spiritual Baptists

Sam Lord's Castle

Located in the parish of St. Philip, Sam Lord's Castle is a beautiful Georgian mansion built in 1820 by the notorious buccaneer Samuel Hall Lord.

Legend has it that Sam Lord acquired his wealth by plundering ships, which he lured onto the reefs off the coast, by hanging lanterns in the coconut trees. Captains mistook these lights for Bridgetown and wrecked their ships on the reefs.

The Castle contains priceless antiques of furniture, paintings, silver and china - some the original possessions of Sam Lord himself.

Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church, is a major fishing community in Barbados with a modern fishing market.
At Oistins, you can watch Barbadian fishing boats (at right) and the weaving of fishing nets by local fishermen.
Oistins is the site of the annual Fish Festival which honours those who contribute to the local fishing industry. Just around the corner from Oistins is Miami Beach, a great place to take a swim.
This was the site of the clash between Royalists and Roundhead supporters in 1639. This clash centred around the bid for independence of Barbados

from Cromwell's England. As a result of this confrontation, the Articles of Agreement were drawn up to form Barbados' own parliament - the third oldest parliament in the entire Commonwealth.

Oistins is also one of the hottest evening musical attractions

Each Friday and Saturday night hundreds of locals and visitors flock to Oistins for the Fish-Fry, an opportunity to enjoy the very best local food - fried and grilled fish, fish cakes, sweet potato, macaroni pie, and coleslaw and so much more.

There are numerous vendors to choose from and seating is readily available. The sounds of island music fill the air, making for a memorable evening out in a very casual setting!

Welchman Hall Gully

Located in the parish of St. Thomas, this is a three-quarter mile (1.2km) long "gully" (really a garden) and home to a number of tropical plants trees, including nutmeg, bamboo, clove and palms. It is believed that the gully got it's name from the original owner, General Williams (an early settler), who was a Welshman. In addition to the impressive flora, look out for the world's largest pillar (the joining of a stalactite and stalagmite) and the gazebo, which looks out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Initial construction began in 1818, with additional rooms being added over the next 50 years, eventually growing to be regarded as the most impressive mansion in Barbados. Owned by Sir Graham Briggs in 1861, a wealthy British planter and legislator, he not only improved the house, but also the gardens, importing many new plants and trees into the island for the entertainment of his guest Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, when the latter visited Barbados in 1861. Other Royal visitors including Princes Albert, Victor and George, later King George V of England, were entertained there when they visited the island in 1879
In 1965, the house was used in the film Island in the Sun but was subsequently destroyed by fire. Farley Hill was officially opened as a national park by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1966, the same year Barbados gained independence.

ST. GEORGE
Gun Hill Signal Station
This is the best preserved of the signal stations. Any signal going from Cotton Tower to St. Ann’s Fort in Bridgetown had to be relayed via Gun Hill. The views around from the upper windows are fantastic.

The Lion (Gun Hill) Measuring 10 feet tall and 16 feet long, the lion was sculptured from a single piece of rock in 1868 by a British Soldier.

Barbados Museum

The repository of the island’s history, the Barbados Museum houses an excellent collection of furniture, glassware, birds, fish, books and other records of the island.

The Museum is located at the Garrison in the old military detention barracks, erected in 1853. It is maintained by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society established by an Act of Parliament in 1933.

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